December 17, 2012 | 4:51 pm

Welcome to the zAngel

Posted by  Orit Arfa

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Welcome to the zAngel blog, formerly known as the “ZOAngel” blog from my days as Executive Director of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), Western Region. But while I’m no longer with the ZOA because I stood up for my principles, I’m still an “angel” and I still got a lot of “z”—Zionism--in me, so we get: zAngel.

And that’s what I am. The zAngel. So what is that?

The “z” stands, of course, stands for Zionism, and one of my intentions in the zAngel blog is to bring back some glory to the word that has been the subject of delegitimizaiton and bastardization; to discuss the relevance of Zionism today; to comment on current events relating to Israel through my “zangelic” lens; and to explore new Zionist ideas that will ensure that Israel remains the ultimate home of the Jewish people, now and forever.

I’m putting “z” in everything, the same way iPhone puts “i” in everything. The “z” word is not a bad word, as the morally corrupt United Nations would still like so many people to believe. It’s a word standing for freedom, love, and independence. Zionism is the ultimate liberation and independence movement of the Jewish people to live safely and happily in the ancestral Jewish homeland, expressive of the Jewish longing for the perfection of the world.

The “angel” is that spiritual creature with wings. 

As you can tell from the blog banner, zAngel hearkens back to Charlie’s Angels, and I’ve always admired those feisty beautiful girls seeking justice. “Angel” also refers to Los Angeles, the City of Angels, my hometown, where I live, work, and create.

But here’s the main reason:  the Zionist movement is filled with angels—the real humanitarians who fight unrelenting anti-Semitism, who counter the human rights abuses in the Arab world, and who seek for the highest moral ideal—the love and sacredness of human life—to reign supreme in the Middle East. Zionists who settle the land of Israel are the beacons of peace in a region overrun by dictators and terrorist states.

So if I’m such an angel, what’s with the gun?

It’s a metaphor for the sharp-shooting posts I intend to write. And as the great Zionist thinker and leader Vladimir Jabotinsky said, “better to have a gun, and not need it, than to need it, and not have it.” So true, I don’t need, but it’s good to have. And if you have a problem with the gun, happy to replace it—with a bazooka.